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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27262021">A Home For Halloween</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/EllanaSan/pseuds/EllanaSan'>EllanaSan</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Hayffieween 2020 [5]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Hunger Games Series - All Media Types, Hunger Games Trilogy - Suzanne Collins, The Hunger Games (Movies)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst and Romance, F/M, Halloween, Halloween Costumes, Light Angst</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 09:35:16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,742</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27262021</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/EllanaSan/pseuds/EllanaSan</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>“You know, you could always <i>do</i> something about it.” Chaff suggested around a respectable gulp of his tankard – he was taking the whole pirate outfit really seriously. “Not that the whole brooding thing doesn’t go well with your costume or anything but…”</p>
<p>His best friend shrugged and Haymitch glared at him a little more.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Haymitch Abernathy/Effie Trinket</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Hayffieween 2020 [5]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1983499</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>47</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>A Home For Halloween</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This one is based on this prompt: “we team up for the couples contest every year as friends but this year you’re with someone else and i’m definitely Not Jealous and definitely Not Realising Feelings”. The list is linked on the penthouse blog if you want to check it out .I lowkey hc it could fit in the universe where Haymitch thinks they’re engaged but he hasn’t asked her and she decided by herself. It was crack XD Anyway no need to know that one to read this one but yeah it could fit.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“You know, you could always <em>do</em> something about it.” Chaff suggested around a respectable gulp of his tankard – he was taking the whole pirate outfit really seriously. “Not that the whole <em>brooding </em>thing doesn’t go well with your costume or anything but…”</p>
<p>His best friend shrugged and Haymitch glared at him a little more.</p>
<p>He wasn’t, in fact, wearing a costume because, that year, nobody had showed up on his doorstep to force him into one. He had actually waited for a good hour before realizing that Effie had been serious when she had said she wasn’t going to do any of whatever it was they had been doing for the last decade and that if he wanted to go to the annual party at Finnick’s bar, he probably should get a move on. He had been late, of course, and all the kids had been unhappy with him wearing his usual outfit of old frayed jeans and flannel shirt. Johanna had prompted declared he wasn’t going to spoil the fun and had slapped a leftover nametag sticker from the last speed-dating night on his chest. <em>Mean Old Drunk</em>, the heart-shaped sticker read in her messy handwriting.</p>
<p>Everyone else had gone all out, like they did every year, because everyone was obsessed with winning the costume contest Finnick hosted every Halloween. The bar always worked well but on Halloween night, it was <em>packed</em> with people eager to win the prizes – usually a bottle of something expensive or a free drink a week for the rest of the year or the likes.</p>
<p>Haymitch and Effie had won the couple contest for eight years in a row.</p>
<p>Not that they were or had ever been a couple.</p>
<p>More like sort of friends who slept together. And had sort of raised kids together. And called each other every two days. And never went a week without seeing each other. And made joined gifts for birthdays and Christmas. And had half their stuff at each other’s places.</p>
<p>At least, it had been that way until she had turned thirty-five and she had suddenly decided she wanted her life to be less messy. She wanted a boyfriend she could <em>call</em> a boyfriend, she wanted to live with someone and she wanted someone who would acknowledge their feelings for her.</p>
<p>To be fair, she had offered for him to <em>be </em>that boyfriend.</p>
<p>They had been together – <em>casually</em> and with no strings attached – for close to ten years. They didn’t sleep with anyone else. Well, <em>he</em> didn’t. And she hadn’t either he was certain, at least until…</p>
<p>He hadn’t reacted to the <em>boyfriend</em> thing like he should have probably.</p>
<p>The whole living together and acknowledging feelings had probably been a bit too much to process all at once over a pink birthday cupcake he had been hiding since the previous night.</p>
<p>He had freaked out. Things had been said…</p>
<p>Overall not the best birthday.</p>
<p>On the other hand, though, she had been tense and weirdly emotional about that birthday for weeks, as if thirty-five marked some sort of odd threshold… He had suspected her mother’s influence but he had no proof. The thing was, he had watched get more and more worked up every day and he hadn’t entirely been surprised by the outburst on her actual birthday.</p>
<p>He had thought she would eventually calm down and come around, <em>come back</em>, because she always did, but she had stopped answering his calls instead, had stopped showing up, never went to the kids’ when she knew he would be there, avoiding him like the plague…</p>
<p>It was a mess.</p>
<p> “Do what?” he scoffed, raising his voice to be heard over the chaos of the bar.</p>
<p>Finnick was running left and right behind the counter, Johanna was struggling to wave her way between customers, her tray held high over her head… He spotted Katniss who, having finished her set before Haymitch got there, was dancing with Peeta… They were both dressed as Ghostbusters so he figured they were going to participate in the couple contest.</p>
<p>He wasn’t sure they would cut it.</p>
<p>Not when Effie was dressed in a sexy skin-tight leather jumpsuit that left <em>very little</em> to the imagination. She was dragging a man by the hand as she laughed. The batman to his catwoman.</p>
<p>Haymitch should have been her batman, he couldn’t help but think with a flare of jealousy. She always ordered costumes months in advance. She had bought that one with him in mind, he was certain.</p>
<p>He downed what was left of his whiskey and wondered if she had looked for a new boyfriend who would be able to fit in it. If that had been her criteria: <em>must be able to fit in Haymitch’s costume</em>.</p>
<p>“I don’t know, buddy… Maybe… get your girl back?” Chaff mocked, sarcasm and irritation twisting together.</p>
<p>Chaff wasn’t a big fan of Effie. They were friendly – for his sake mostly – but they never really <em>clicked</em> and while Chaff had been ecstatic at first when Haymitch had told him they were apparently over for good, he had soon become less and less happy when he had realized it hadn’t meant the wild nights of pursuing one night stands he had imagined. Mostly, it meant Haymitch wandered around with a sulk perpetually glued to his face.</p>
<p>Haymitch didn’t feel like putting up a front for his friends.</p>
<p>He wasn’t doing great and he had relapsed in his old dangerous ways once or twice. Effie had helped him keep a lid on the drinking but without her… He had gotten it back under control. <em>Mostly</em>.  Huge binges hadn’t fixed any of it. He <em>missed</em> her. He didn’t just miss the sex, he missed the companionship. He missed calling her or texting her every time he saw something funny. He missed her complaining about losing a bunch of followers on <em>instagram</em>. He missed hearing her voice first thing in the morning. He missed the terrible coffee she made. He missed the rants when it was his turn to do the grocery shopping and he never bought what she wanted. He missed the way she would snuggle against him in the morning for a sleepy kiss. He missed her laugh most of all. He missed… He missed <em>everything</em>.</p>
<p>“Not my girl anymore, remember?” he muttered, signaling Finnick he wanted a refill. “She moved on.”</p>
<p>The young man came around with the bottle of whiskey right in time to hear that and he rolled his eyes. “I don’t think she moved on at all. It’s her third boyfriend in two months.”</p>
<p>
  <em>Two months. </em>
</p>
<p>Had it only been two months? It felt like it had been two years to him. </p>
<p>“Besides, last time I went to her place, all your stuff was still around.” Finnick added helpfully.</p>
<p>That eased something in his chest. He had thought maybe she had gotten rid of it all. He hadn’t touched a single thing of hers, hoping she would come back for it, but <em>fuck</em> was it painful to see her beauty stuff every time he walked in his bathroom…</p>
<p>He glanced at her and winced when he saw Batman had slipped an arm around her waist. <em>He </em>wanted to hold her. <em>He</em> wanted to…</p>
<p>“See?” Chaff bumped his fist in his shoulder. “You should go talk to her.”</p>
<p>“And what?” he challenged. “Do the awkward exes dance? No thanks.”</p>
<p>She was laughing. She looked happy enough.</p>
<p>She deserved to be happy.</p>
<p>“Haymitch.” Finnick sighed. “This whole thing is stupid. Just go, apologize, grovel a little and <em>get her back</em>.”</p>
<p>“Ain’t that easy, kid.” he countered.</p>
<p>“Oh, <em>yes</em>, it is.” Annie snapped, uncharacteristically short, appearing at his elbow and pushing her tray full of empty glasses on the counter. Finnick exchanged them for full ones from the list she handed over. “And you should do it fast because I’m tired of the two of you avoiding each other. It makes it very complicated to have family gatherings.”</p>
<p>“Plus, she doesn’t look that happy to me.” Chaff pointed out, nodding in her direction. “She ain’t too… <em>handsy</em> with that one. Not like she is with you.”</p>
<p>“What’s that supposed to mean?” he scoffed. “We ain’t handsy.” Finnick, Chaff and Annie exchanged loaded looks that made him shift on his stool with irritation. “We <em>ain’t</em>!”</p>
<p>A chuckle escaped Chaff and his best friend shook his head. “Buddy… If the two of you are within a foot of each other, you’ve <em>got</em> to be touching…”</p>
<p>“<em>Bullshit</em>.” Haymitch insisted.</p>
<p>Annie let out a long frustrated sigh, grabbed the new tray and disappeared to serve their customers, only pausing briefly to exchange a few words with Johanna. The two girls looked straight at him and Jo’s laughter could clearly be heard even over the raucous.</p>
<p>“You’re <em>always</em> touching her.” Finnick snorted, leaning his elbows on the counter to better talk to them, ignoring the thirsty patrons trying to get his attention. “You’ve got your hand at the small of her back or you squeeze her neck or if you’re sitting together you’ve got your hand on her leg…”</p>
<p>“And she’s clingy too.” Chaff shrugged. “Always holding your arm or leaning into you or whatever… It’s like you’re joined at the hips sometimes.”</p>
<p>He opened his mouth to dispute that and then closed it because…</p>
<p>Well, she was a bit clingy. He had been uncomfortable with it at first but he had long grown used to it. <em>Hell</em>, he felt cold when she wasn’t somehow glued to his side… She did tend to lean against him or prop her chin on his shoulder or loop her arms around his elbow or even, when she was very drunk, plop herself onto his lap… And if she was within arm reach, he <em>did</em> tend to reach out for her. It was only natural wasn’t it? He liked guiding her with a hand at the small of her back – and he liked sliding that hand south when nobody was looking – he liked leaving his hand on her thigh when they were sitting… Squeezing her nape… He didn’t do that consciously. It was a thing between them. She liked it when she was upset. It comforted her. And…</p>
<p>“She’s not really touching that guy.” Finnick remarked, pointing his thumb in her direction. “She can’t be <em>that</em> into him…” </p>
<p>“Didn’t even see her kiss him once.” Chaff nudged him.</p>
<p>Haymitch made a face at the thought, disgust and anger rolling in his stomach at the idea she was kissing other guys.</p>
<p>“<em>We</em> never kissed in public.” he grumbled.</p>
<p>“<em>Right</em>…” Finnick taunted. “For the record… It’s not because you do it in dark corners or in people’s bathroom that we don’t know it’s happening.”</p>
<p>“Haymitch.” Chaff said, his tone turning serious. “I’m done with you mopping around. Stand up and go get that woman back or so help me.”</p>
<p>His best friend nudged him off his stool and Haymitch did get to his feet, not entirely sure why he was doing so. Or why his feet were taking him to where Effie was dancing with her Batman.</p>
<p>It annoyed him not to be able to see his face, to not know what the guy looked like. He was tall. Almost as tall as Haymitch. But that was the extent of what he could tell from the costume alone.</p>
<p>He almost whirled around right before he could actually <em>get</em> there but someone – who turned out to be Peeta – accidentally bumped into him, making him stumble closer to her in a very undignified way. Her eyes met his and there was no walking away now so he cleared his throat as she stopped dancing, her Batman stupidly hovering behind her…</p>
<p>“Well…” she huffed when he didn’t say anything. “That’s a bold choice of costume, Haymitch.”</p>
<p>There was the same bundle of irritation, hurt and sadness in her voice as the day she had slammed the door and sworn she was done with him.</p>
<p>“Lots of leather you’re wearing. New kink you’re trying out? Never pegged you for a dominatrix.” he retorted. “Left your whip at home?”</p>
<p>She pursed her lips and narrowed her eyes, turning to fully face him with an aggravated <em>puff</em>. “I am dressed as <em>Catwoman</em>.”</p>
<p>“Sure you are.” He smirked, letting his eyes roam over her. If they had still been… He would have made a fuss over that outfit. He could see <em>everything</em>. She might as well be naked. Her whole body was covered and yet he could see her every curve… And he had <em>fucking</em> missed those curse. “<em>Meow</em>.” </p>
<p>She watched him as if he was utterly crazy.</p>
<p>And maybe he was.</p>
<p>He had just mewled at her.</p>
<p>“Are you drunk?” she asked, folding her arms in front of her chest.</p>
<p>“I wish.” he confessed more sincerely than he meant to. Her face softened a fraction. Just a fraction, mind. “Look, sweetheart…” He wasn’t sure how he would have ended that sentence if Batman hadn’t chosen that moment to awkwardly shuffle on his feet right behind her and place a hand on her shoulder. Haymitch glared at the stranger, bundling his hands into fists to resist the compulsion to grab her, tug her close and never let her go again. “You mind? We’re having a private conversation.”</p>
<p>“Haymitch, do not be rude.” she snapped.</p>
<p>Batman seemed to hesitate but dropped his hand from her shoulder. “What do you want me to do, Effie?”</p>
<p>Haymitch scoffed, sneering at the guy.</p>
<p>One thing was very clear to him: if one of Effie’s ex had come up to her during a party they were at together and had started <em>mewling </em>at her, he wouldn’t have remained one step behind her like an idiot. He would have decked the guy first and asked questions later.</p>
<p>“What’s up, Batman? Need to hide behind your woman?” he taunted. “Can’t fight for her like a man?”</p>
<p>“I am not <em>his</em> nor <em>anyone’s</em> woman, thank you very much.” Effie hissed. “And you are causing a scene. Stop at once.”</p>
<p>He <em>was</em> causing a scene alright. People around them were staring, clearly wary of a fight breaking in the middle of the crowded bar. Finnick and Johanna were both keeping an eye on him from afar, Peeta and Katniss had stopped dancing to watch them, huddling close together… The kids never liked it when they fought.</p>
<p>It was the only reason he didn’t do what he really, <em>really </em>wanted to do and put his fists into the other man’s face.</p>
<p>“You deserve better than a guy who doesn’t have the balls to fight for you.” he spat, glaring at Batman.</p>
<p>She almost <em>choked</em> on bitter chuckles. “Coming from <em>you</em>? That’s rich!”</p>
<p>She whirled around and started to storm away only to briefly pause and lift a hand when Batman tried to follow. “Stay.” she ordered and the guy obeyed.</p>
<p>Haymitch wasn’t as well trained and he was hot on her trail when she sneaked past the <em>staff only</em> door and ignored Finnick’s office to go straight through the small door at the end of the corridor. By the time he walked out into the dead-end alley behind the bar she was already pacing, glaring daggers at the heaps of trash on the ground. Clearly, she hadn’t expected him to remain in the bar with everyone else.</p>
<p>She knew him better than that.</p>
<p>“What do you want?” she growled.</p>
<p>He knew the tone just as well as he knew the glare.</p>
<p>It was the pissed off attitude she always gave him right before she went on a sex strike to teach him that whatever he had done to anger her that badly should never <em>ever </em>happen again.</p>
<p>It was a very effective method.</p>
<p>“I’m sorry.” he spat, surprising both of them.</p>
<p>He wasn’t used to issuing apologies.</p>
<p>He wasn’t good at them and he never bothered.</p>
<p>He could count on one hand the numbers of times he had apologized to her over the years and she had deserved a lot more of them than he had consented to give.</p>
<p>She stopped pacing to face him and he took one step closer to her, letting the door swing shut behind him with a definite <em>clang</em>. They would have to go around the curb to get back into the bar but it also meant no kids would eavesdrop accidentally or not.</p>
<p>“Effie, I’m sorry.” he repeated more firmly.</p>
<p>Because the last two months had been a lot worse than her usual sex strikes.</p>
<p>Lesson learned.</p>
<p>Lesson <em>fucking</em> learned.</p>
<p>Some of the anger vanished from her face but he wasn’t sure it was better because she looked strangely vulnerable, standing there, hugging herself…</p>
<p>He took another hesitant step closer, slowly lifted his hand… He let it hover in the air between them for a second before finally making contact with her arm. He kept it light but when she didn’t recoiled or shrug him off, he rested his hand more fully on her arm…</p>
<p>“<em>Princess</em>…” he whispered.</p>
<p>The sound that escaped her was between a sob and a whimper.</p>
<p>He brushed his hand up her leather-clad arm and to her neck, to her nape…</p>
<p>When he gently squeezed, she closed her eyes, her jaw clenched…</p>
<p>She was trying not to cry.</p>
<p>The last thing he wanted to do was make her cry.</p>
<p>“Effie, please, I’m sorry…” he pleaded in a rough voice that didn’t do much to hide his own emotions. “I miss you.”</p>
<p>Her head fell forward and he leaned in until their foreheads were pressed together.</p>
<p>His heart was racing in his chest.</p>
<p>When she spoke it was barely above a tortured murmur. “I miss you too…”</p>
<p>He didn’t need much more than that.</p>
<p>He captured her mouth, kissing her hard and fast… And it felt like <em>fucking</em> heaven. When she looped her arms around his neck and kissed back, just as hard, it felt like coming home. His hands traveled down, ghosting over the supple leather, revisiting her familiar curves, landing on her ass… He tugged her closer to him, molding her against his body… He hadn’t meant to lift her up but she hopped without breaking the kiss and wrapped her legs around his waist…</p>
<p>It was a reflex to walk them over to the closest wall, to <em>pin</em> her there… </p>
<p><em>Fuck</em> but the sensation of her legs bracketing his hips, of her heels digging into the back of his thighs… He adjusted his grip on her with his left arm so he could touch her with his right hand… The zipper was easily located, it ran from her navel to her chin. He squeezed her breast on the way there, prompting her to moan in his mouth… Her fingers were making a mess of his hair, one of her hands had slipped under his shirt…</p>
<p>He paused right before pulling the zipper down, remembering only just in time <em>where</em> they were.  </p>
<p>It wasn’t like they had never done it in a dark alley – or even in that <em>very</em> alley – but it was one thing when she was wearing a dress or a skirt and it was entirely another when she was wearing a jumpsuit he would have to completely take off. He was pretty sure she wasn’t wearing underwear under that thing.</p>
<p>He didn’t want her entirely naked in a public alley, no matter how deserted.</p>
<p>He lowered the zipper just enough to be able to access her throat. He kissed her there, licking her pulse point… It nudged the leather hood on her head with its ridiculous cat ear askew and blond hair spilled out…</p>
<p>“Let’s go home.” he suggested, his voice raw and rough.</p>
<p>“Yours or mine?” she answered breathlessly.</p>
<p>“Whichever you want us to live in.” he retorted, not missing a beat.</p>
<p>He wasn’t doing the same mistake twice.</p>
<p>It must have been the right answer because she framed his face and pulled him into another searing kiss that almost made him forget his resolution not to have her naked right there and then.</p>
<p>“Home.” she reminded him against his mouth when he started touching her again.</p>
<p>“Wanna break up with Batman first?” he sneered, playfully biting down on her neck…</p>
<p>“I already paid him. We can go.” she replied.</p>
<p>It took a few seconds for the words to penetrate his lusty brain but when they did he drew back, meeting her eyes with a frown. “What?”</p>
<p>Her cheeks were flushed and the blush was disappearing down her throat and beneath the jumpsuit, as always when she was truly embarrassed. “I did not want to show up alone in case you were with someone.” She cleared her throat. “I hired someone. I hired someone every time I thought you might be there with someone else…”</p>
<p>This was so stupid and yet endearing that he couldn’t help but snort. “Well, that’s a waste of money…”</p>
<p>“The children kept saying you were in a bad place but I thought they were trying to spare my feelings.” she admitted. “I was so heartbroken over you that…”</p>
<p>“And you think it was all rainbows and roses for me?” he scoffed. “I’ve been <em>miserable</em>.”</p>
<p>“Well, whose fault is <em>that</em>?” she snapped. “All I wanted…”</p>
<p>“Yeah, yeah…” he cut her off, grumbling a little. “I know.” He wasn’t happy she had been paying escorts but… At least that meant they weren’t <em>real </em>boyfriends so… “So you haven’t… You haven’t found anyone else, yeah?”</p>
<p>She rolled her eyes. “I am sorry to break it to you but I haven’t been putting up with your <em>ridiculous </em>relationship rules for ten years for fun. If I was less in love with you…”</p>
<p>He kissed the rest of that sentence out of her mouth by reflex. She was slipping down his waist though so he hauled her back up. His knee didn’t thank him for it but he didn’t care.</p>
<p>“Whatever you want. I’m in.” he promised against her lips. “Just… Just never leave me again. Cause I can’t… I can’t, sweetheart. It’s all grey and sad without you. There ain’t any point to waking up every morning.”</p>
<p>It was her turn to kiss him hard and, for a moment, he thought they would never get out of that alley after all. Maybe they could just sneak back inside and requisition Finnick’s office… It had a couch.</p>
<p>“Let’s go home.” she begged against his lips. “<em>Please</em>.”</p>
<p>It didn’t freak him out as much as he would have expected.</p>
<p>He liked the sound of that.</p>
<p><em>Home</em>.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I hope you enjoyed this! Please do let me know your thoughts as the world is now panic and anxiety of lockdown again with the added bonus of me probably having to actually go out to work XD</p></blockquote></div></div>
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